Tag / damian lillard

by Alex Fischbein

James Harden Unleashed & The Wemby and Holmgren Show | TAF293

On episode 293 of The Atlantic Files, James Harden says he was on a leash in Philadelphia and he isn’t a system player, Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are putting on a show, two Atlantic division teams are at the top of the East while the others have shown a mixed bag, and the Milwaukee Bucks haven’t been as good as expected so far.

James Harden did his first press conference since joining the Los Angeles Clippers and he talks about how he was on a leash in Philadelphia and that he needs a coach that he can trust who will also trust him. This is news to all of us, including Joel Embiid who was confused by his comments and said that they gave him the ball on every possession. Make this drama make sense, please!

Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks have yet to show their full potential after suffering a couple of bad losses in the early going of this season. Inefficient shooting, poor defense, and ejections have caused the team to look like they regressed from last year. Is this team actually as much of a title contender as everyone thought or did they ship out too much of their depth to be as good as they used to be?

Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren have been garnering all the hype for quite a while now. Deservedly so, these two rookies have lived up to all of the expectations and then some! Both of them have turned into must-see TV and have raised the level of each of their teams. This race for Rookie of the Year may be one of the closest in a long time!

Finally, we take a look at the Atlantic Division so far and how they’ve fared over the first few weeks of the season. The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers are at the top of the division and the conference while the other three are all next to each other in play-in territory. This is shaping up to be a fun year!

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:06:07 James Harden on a leash?!
00:29:42 Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks
00:44:30 Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are awesome
00:56:22 The Atlantic Division so far
01:09:31 Outro

by Alex Fischbein

2023-24 NBA Season Begins, Joel Embiid Trade Rumors | TAF291

On episode 291 of The Atlantic Files, the 2023-24 NBA Season kicks off with two big games at the same time we’re recording, Joel Embiid is back in trade rumors again and it involves the New York Knicks, plus we give some fantasy basketball advice for the new season!

The 2023-24 NBA season kicked off with a couple of entertaining games showcasing some of the league’s best teams. Then we had a huge 12-game slate with so much action it was hard to catch all of it. We gave all of our predictions for the regular season awards along with who we have winning the NBA Finals while we also took a look at the opening night games.

Joel Embiid is back in the news based on trade rumors to the New York Knicks. Apparently, the Knicks are prepared to offer a huge haul for the reigning MVP which may become enticing after James Harden finally gets dealt away from the team. Should the Sixers actually consider a trade inside the division or should they explore elsewhere for better deals so that they don’t have to play against him?

Finally, we go over our top 12 players for fantasy basketball this year in category formats. We’ll be dropping bits of fantasy advice throughout the season as well!

Timecodes:
00:00 Intro
05:12 Joel Embiid traded for a haul to the Knicks?
30:59 2023-24 NBA Season predictions
51:30 Our top 12 fantasy basketball players
55:09 Outro

by Alex Fischbein

Tyler Herro, NBA Preseason, and Season Predictions | TAF289

On episode 289 of The Atlantic Files, Tyler Herro says he’s glad Portland didn’t want him and his goal is to become untouchable, the NBA preseason starts with some new faces and new drama already beginning, we also make our final season predictions, plus much more!

Tyler Herro had to sit through his name getting thrown around in every trade rumor imaginable for the last couple of seasons. Damian Lillard reportedly wasn’t going to move anywhere unless Herro was involved. Now that he remains in Miami and Lillard moved to Milwaukee, Herro wants to become untouchable so that he’s never part of trade talks again. The question is whether or not that’s an attainable level for him.

The NBA preseason has kicked off which means media days have already come and gone. We go over some of the top headlines from media day and the preseason as well as talk about some of our favorite players so far. Let’s also not forget that James Harden still hasn’t been traded to the Philadelphia 76ers are still in a state of flux.

Finally, we talk about the NBA GM survey where they answer a bunch of questions from who they think will the NBA Finals down to who they think will be MVP, Rookie of the Year, and much more.

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:12 Fantasy Football talk: Week 5
00:15:10 Tyler Herro wants to be untouchable
00:27:08 NBA Preseason and media days
00:43:05 NBA General Manager poll and season predictions
00:59:24 Outro

by Alex Fischbein

Damian Lillard And Jrue Holiday Traded! | TAF288

On episode 288 of The Atlantic Files, Damian Lillard is traded to the Milwaukee Bucks and joins Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday heads to the Boston Celtics, we break down all of the trade pieces, and then we put together all of our divisional previews for one big preview episode!

Finally, we get a resolution to the Damian Lillard saga that has gone on for months. He’s on his way to join Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks to form a super-duo. Question marks still exist with this team’s health like that of Khris Middleton. Also, the team as a whole is getting older and older, so their window to win another championship is very short. Will the new coach lead them back to the promised land?

Another side of the trade was moving Jrue Holiday to Portland who then was moved to Boston. The Trail Blazers got some more assets out of it while Holiday moved to another Eastern Conference contender. His fit in Boston is perfect as he replaces the role that Marcus Smart vacated. With the addition of Holiday, however, that improves the offense in ways that Smart was unable to.

To wrap up this week’s episode, we stitched together all of our divisional previews from the past six weeks to bring one big preview episode. Let us know what you think of each division and who you have winning each one to make the playoffs this year!

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Timecodes:
00:01:51 – Damian Lillard traded to Milwaukee
00:10:40 – Jrue Holiday traded to Boston
00:20:15 – 2023-24 NBA Central Division preview
00:31:44 – 2023-24 NBA Atlantic Division preview
00:42:00 – 2023-24 NBA Southeast Division preview
01:01:25 – 2023-24 NBA Pacific Division preview
01:10:55 – 2023-24 NBA Northwest Division preview
01:24:48 – 2023-24 NBA Southwest Division preview

by Alex Fischbein

Damian Lillard May Go To Toronto?! | TAF287

Editor’s Note: This was recorded before Damian Lillard was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks

This week, on episode 287 of The Atlantic Files, reportedly, the Toronto Raptors are the frontrunners to land Damian Lillard all of a sudden, Buddy Hield is now on the trade block with the Dallas Mavericks rumored as the frontrunners, and we finish our divisional preview series with the Atlantic Division.

Damian Lillard‘s trade saga continues but more and more teams keep entering the mix. Now, all of a sudden, the Toronto Raptors are the frontrunners to land the superstar guard. What does that mean for the rest of the league and especially the Miami Heat?! We give our thoughts on whether or not he’ll actually end up in Canada or if it’s just a smokescreen before he lands in Miami.

Speaking of trades, Buddy Hield is now firmly on the trade block. The Indiana Pacers are shopping him and he’s open to a trade to a place where he can sign an extension. Right now, the Dallas Mavericks are the best fit, but it’s unclear whether they have the pieces that the Pacers truly want. We talk about where he should go and if he’ll actually find a new home before the season starts.

Finally, we wrap up our divisional preview series by taking a look at the Atlantic Division. We give our thoughts on all of the deals that went down and which Atlantic team might surprise everyone. With this division, it brings our divisional preview series to an end and we will be posting all of our previews stitched together into one big preview episode later on!

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:04:21 Dennis sets a Christmas scene
00:07:10 New Year Gym struggles
00:12:08 Fantasy Football corner: Week 3
00:26:32 Toronto is the frontrunner for Damian Lillard
00:49:37 Buddy Hield is on the trading block
01:10:09 Atlantic Division Preview
01:21:08 Outro

by Alex Fischbein

Team USA Fails, Kevin Porter Jr. In Trouble | TAF285

This week, on episode 285 of The Atlantic Files, Team USA fails to medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Kevin Porter Jr. gets in trouble with the law, Damian Lillard now says he’d join training camp for any team, and we preview the Southeast Division for the upcoming NBA season.

After the controversial comments from Noah Lyles about the NBA, Team USA couldn’t turn those words into fuel for the 2023 FIBA World Cup. The team lost to Germany in the semifinal and then suffered another loss to Canada in the third-place game. They failed to meet expectations and the race to build the best team for the Olympics is now on.

Kevin Porter Jr. has found himself in very hot water after being arrested on assault charges. Right now, everything is alleged before the court cases take place. The NBA, however, could bring down some pretty hard sanctions when it’s all said and done because of the issues off of the court for Miles Bridges. His NBA career is now in jeopardy let alone his future with the Houston Rockets.

Finally, we preview the Southeast Division for the upcoming NBA season. Damian Lillard to the Miami Heat is still a possibility, but the rest of the division has some rising rosters. Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks look to improve with a full season of Quin Snyder at the helm and the Orlando Magic are getting better every day as their young stars improved throughout the offseason.

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:03:31 Fantasy Football Corner: Week 1 recap
00:21:36 Team USA fails to medal at 2023 FIBA World Cup
00:36:32 Kevin Porter Jr. arrested
00:50:48 NBA Southeast Division Preview
01:10:38 Outro

by Alex Fischbein

Is Joel Embiid Really Trolling 76ers Fans? | TAF279

On episode 279 of The Atlantic Files, Joel Embiid says he wants to win a championship whether it’s with the Philadelphia 76ers or not, then says he’s trolling. We go through the winners and losers of Summer League, check in on the James Harden and Damian Lillard situations, react to the Pascal Siakam trade rumors, and give ideal landing spots for the remaining NBA free agents.

Joel Embiid said that all he wants to do is win a championship in an interview with Mav Carter. The issue is that he also said whether it’s in Philly or somewhere else, he wants to win. That sent everyone in Philadelphia into a frenzy because he even hinted at the idea of wanting out. Embiid then took to Twitter to say that it was actually all a troll job. Is anyone believing this?

NBA Summer League has come and gone, so there are winners and losers coming out of it. Some prospects did very well and others didn’t do so well. Who are your winners and losers and do they line up with ours?

Then, we check in on the James Harden and Damian Lillard situations. Both star guards are still on the same teams and they aren’t seemingly moving any time soon. They both only want to go to one team, but that doesn’t help either one of their cases. Which one will be traded first and will either one go to the team they really want?

Finally, we take a look at all of the remaining free agents. We talk about where they should go and how much money they could end up signing for. That includes players like Christian Wood, PJ Washington, and Kelly Oubre Jr.

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:06:05 NBA Summer league winners and losers
00:45:42 Joel Embiid’s championship comments
01:03:27 Damian Lillard and James Harden still not traded
01:13:22 Remaining NBA Free agents
01:24:19 Outro

by Alex Fischbein

2023 NBA Free Agency Roundup | TAF278

On episode 278 of The Atlantic Files: 2023 NBA Free Agency was shaping up to be crazy and so far it hasn’t really been that amazing. Players like Kyrie Irving, Draymond Green, Kyle Kuzma, and Khris Middleton all stayed put. Fred VanVleet got paid, Dillon Brooks headed to a different team, and Grant Williams and Max Strus went through a sign-and-trade. We give all of our thoughts and reactions on the signings and trades so far and the ones that are yet to come like Damian Lillard and James Harden.

The free agency period has been a little lackluster compared to all the hype and rumors thrown around before it officially opened. Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks both got a good bit of money to switch teams, but outside of them a lot of the more significant contracts went to guys that just stayed with their same squad. Draymond Green, Kyle Kuzma, and Jerami Grant are just a few names that didn’t switch teams. So, which teams had the best free agency?

We also take a closer look at the Atlantic Division teams and how they fared throughout the free agency period so far. The 76ers and Nets seem to be sitting back and waiting for bigger moves while the Raptors and Celtics decided to make a few moves and bring in some new faces. We’re still waiting to see if the Knicks have anything else up their sleeve as well.

Finally, there are the annoying situations of both Damian Lillard and James Harden. Lillard decided to wait until the last possible minute to request a trade and he’s acting like a child when he says he will only play for the Miami Heat and absolutely no one else. Harden, also acting like a child, received a huge ego check and will sit around waiting for Daryl Morey to trade him because he didn’t like the fact that he didn’t receive a ton of money this offseason.

SUBSCRIBE to Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don’t miss a new episode!

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:07:16 Atlantic Division free agency roundup
00:47:01 Can Damian Lillard replicate Stephen Curry and Isiah Thomas?
00:55:51 What’s going on with Dame and James Harden?
01:04:17 Houston lands Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks
01:07:13 We love meatloaf
01:10:11 Back to Houston’s free agency
01:15:46 Kyle Kuzma stays in Washington??
01:21:36 Phoenix Suns have a good free agency
01:25:03 Early NBA Summer League thoughts
01:31:52 Outro

Doc Rivers, Philadelphia 76ers
by Alex Fischbein

Doc Rivers is an issue | The Atlantic Files Ep206

This week, on the Atlantic Files, we welcome Troy of the Planet 76 Podcast to talk about Doc Rivers and the Philadelphia 76ers. We debated whether or not the Sixers needed to trade Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, or both. Also, we took a look at all of the latest Damian Lillard rumors and even the New York Knicks since they’ve benched Kemba Walker.

One of the biggest conversations going around Philly sports circles right now is the coaching from Doc Rivers. His after-timeout play calls, rotations, and playoff resume have been very sketchy. Now, with the team getting back to full strength except for Ben Simmons, his coaching is going to be scrutinized. Every ‘x and o’ matters now when the team isn’t as talented as the ones they’re going to play.

Whenever Ben Simmons is brought up, Tobias Harris’ name now gets thrown into the conversation as well in terms of trade talk. Some Sixers fans want to trade Harris and keep Simmons while others want the opposite. What if the Sixers actually need to trade both of them to truly compete for a title? Can they get anything out of Tobias Harris’ huge contract?

Then, in comes the added Damian Lillard rumors. These days there are new rumors about Lillard wanting to play with Ben Simmons in Portland. On top of that, apparently, Lillard is unhappy with the team and the coaching since it wasn’t the exact coach that he wanted. Also, to add more fuel to the fire, Portland fired their General Manager so nobody knows what that might bring in terms of roster makeup.

Finally, the Knicks aren’t exactly improving ever since their plan to bench Kemba Walker. The offense hasn’t done much more than it already was doing, and the defense doesn’t look improved either. So where do they go from here then? Are we going to see Kemba Walker inserted back into the lineup or are do they have to make some sort of deal?

Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro
1:18 – Can Doc Rivers coach the Sixers to a championship?
7:18 – Should the Sixers trade both Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons?
15:38 – Damian Lillard apparently wants to play with Ben Simmons
26:51 – Realistic landing spots for Damian Lillard
37:20 – Benching Kemba Walker hasn’t done much for the New York Knicks
41:00 – Troy from Planet 76 Podcast gives his Sixers predictions and talks about the Process